


Heat Sucks

by vilnolin



Category: Dark Angel
Genre: AU, Angst, Animal Traits, F/F, F/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Sexual Content, x5revised
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-15
Updated: 2011-07-15
Packaged: 2017-11-29 00:26:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/680581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vilnolin/pseuds/vilnolin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Heat's a funny thing sometimes... (a what if from X5revised)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heat Sucks

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers: All of Season 2..sorta. Set pre Freak Nation  
> Warning: SEX, partying, drugs, rock and roll. AU of season 2/established X5R verse. Some bicuriousness. Heat sex. fluff  
> A what if from the X5Revised series.

            All the warning signs were there, clear as day.   
            It had started with the dreams, the damned  _hot_  dreams, of  _him_ ; if she was honest, she had plenty of reason to have those dreams too. Just last week, Nixie, an X5 designed for swimming, had gone into heat in the center of HQ.   
            It had been astonishing to see what the reaction had actually  _been_ ; every X on duty with feline dna had ended up in the main lounge, the males snarling and snapping at each other while the females desperately attempted to keep some sort of control. Eventually, fighting had broken out, quickly eliminating lower rank and pack status. By the time Joshua and the rest of the transhumans had managed to break it up, it had been down to the Alphas in Terminal City—there was Trig, his black eye blooming spectacularly, while being restrained by Mole; to his left was Felix, Alec’s older clone-with a gash across his face and his partner, Keegan, sitting on his chest- looking rather disgruntled with the fact two other transhumans were holding his arms and legs; finally, there was Alec, who had lost his shirt at some point, though the shoulders were still hanging ragged, and a bit of sleeve hung off his arm.  
            He had still been fighting Joshua when Clinic had burst in, tranquilizers in hand, and deftly subdued the still fighting males before doing similar to poor Nixie, who had only survived the encounter because of several X5 and 6’s ringing her in a defensive position.  
            The majority of the males involved in the dust up were still nursing injuries, and many were staying well clear of Alec, Trig and Felix. Max had hastily drafted a plan for females (un- _mated_  females, she later amended) that required all of them to report to a safe house on the edge of TC to prevent more fighting.  
            So, when the first dreams had come barely two days later, she had laughed it off, thinking it coincidence. And then she remembered actually  _flirting_  with Alec. A quick trip to the med-bay, and a pheromone panel later, she was packing an overnight bag, and heading to the heat house.  
            However, Max was expecting to wait out this heat alone.  
            “Oh, fuck my life.”  
            Max dropped her bag, hand coming to rest on her hips. “Why are you here?”  
            With a sigh, Keegan pulled herself to her feet, dressed casually in a layered sports bra and what looked like cut off fatigues. Her exceedingly long hair was pulled back into a severe braid, sweat beading on her forehead. “Why the hell do you think?” She snapped, moving back, towards one of the beds spread out across the room. “It just figures I get stuck here with a  _Niner_.”   
            There were several reasons Max didn’t like Keegan; for one thing, the other female was all too ready to proclaim transgenic superiority, another, she was Manticore through and through.   
            Alright, that wasn’t exactly fair. No, the honest to god true reason Max disliked Keegan was that she had been a member of the X5Rs, Alec’s unit back at Manticore, comprised of all the twins and at risk models after the 2009 escape of Max’s unit. And, because of that, had extra training, an actual rank, and a deep resentment for any member of Gamma Unit, now known as the ‘Niner’s.   
            “This ‘Niner’ broke you out.” Max announced, hormones escalating an already tense situation. “You should be thanking me.”  
            Keegan snorted, her eyes glowing in the eerie half-light. “Oh, yes,  _thanking_  you. For what? Getting our asses shot at? Having to break our tails to escape a fucking  _inferno_  and then put ‘em in a sling to survive? Thanks  _ever so_ , but I’d have rather done what I was  _made_ for.” She gave a scathing chuckle. “But I forgot, you think we’re just revved up  _humans_.”   
            Max started to reply, but Keegan was already shoving headphones into her ears, pulling an ancient ipod from her shorts and setting to finding some sort of music.  
            The disregard that so many of the Xs had towards her was alarming. Max had honestly thought everyone would be happy to be free of Manticore…granted, if she had set up the whole thing in advance, they may have been happier…  
            When Max had started hanging around TC, she had expected everyone to turn to her, just as every other wayward transgenic had tended to. However, when not met with condescension, everything she ordered went through someone else before it was actually followed. She had tried to follow their chain of command, once, and track down the true head of Terminal City, but had only gotten the run around when she was somehow directed to Alec’s office. Twice, she had been sent to where the X5Rs had clustered, where an amused Felix had shrugged, saying he had no idea. And a third time, she had found herself trailing Trig, only to have him walk the same circle seven times, clearly attempting to bore her as he had realized he was being followed.  
            With a sigh, Max slumped down on the farthest bed from Keegan and dragged out a book on virology. At least she could make her time useful…  
               

***

  
            It had been several hours, at least, when Lita—the X5 in charge of the safe house—popped her head into the back room, looking slightly concerned. Max breathed in, surprised to feel a rush of heat to her groin. There was a male out there…  
            Keegan was already on her feet, but had put as much distance between her and the door as she could. “No! Tell him no! I’m not playing this fucking game!” She yelled, and Max could swear there were tears in her eyes.  
            Lita looked like she was about to reply, when someone jostled her from behind, and she forced the door closed, so only a sliver of her face was visible. “He’s rather insistent, Kee.”  
            “He can go fuck himself.” It was quiet, but enough for a rather shocked noise to come from behind Lita.  
            “Forgive me for making sure you were ok,  _partner_!” Felix’s voice called out, his scent fading even as Lita slowly opened the door more, only leaving the doorway when the lock on the front door clicked shut.  
            She rushed over to Keegan, attempting to pull her from the floor, and when she wouldn’t budge, wrapped her arms around her, stroking her head and back, making a weird noise in the back of her throat.  
            Max stared at them, confusion blanketing her features, despite the decidedly disappointed feeling that accompanied the dispersion of the male scent. “I thought you two were…” Max trailed off, watching Keegan attempt to put herself into a smaller ball. “Alec said—“  
            “He was wrong.” Lita said, finally looking up at Max. “Keegan and Felix are partners, they work together.” Keegan made a noise that sounded like an angry cat, and Lita chuckled. “You ok now? Good, I’m gonna get back to the front, make sure that the guys are staying back.” She gave Keegan an affectionate nuzzle, before standing up, and returning to the front room, closing the door behind her.  
            “Go on, make you’re comment.” Keegan said, as soon as they were alone.   
            Max stared at her, surprised. “I wasn’t going to.”  
            At this, the yellow-eyed female stared at her for a long moment, before nodded. “Ok then.”  
            An hour passed in silence, and Max was starting to feel the itch of not being able to  _go_ , to move, to run; coupled with the smolder of the pheromones, it wasn’t a pleasant feeling. It made her feel trapped.  
            Which was why, when she realized Keegan was fiddling with the lock on the window, she kept her eyes on the door.  
            There was a snapping sound, and Keegan breathed , “Yes!” before she looked over her shoulder. “You coming? I can’t wait here, not with…” She shook herself, climbing out the window without a backwards glance.  
            Max hesitated for a fraction of a second—she had helped implement this very plan—but then, excitement and the scents on the wind caught her. She was out of the window before she recognized she made up her mind.  
            “You don’t want Felix coming back.” Max said, when she caught up to Keegan.  
            The other shrugged, heading towards the fence the ordinaries had put up, to warn others of the contamination inside. It was one of the few places were guards were few: when the safe-house was in use, no X series were allowed on duty there. Depending on personal schedules, it could mean a light night.   
            Tonight it was, and Keegan cleared the fence easily, waiting for Max on the other side. “You have someplace you want to head to?” She queried, watching Max closely.  
            It was some sort of test from the other, Max could just feel it. “There’s a place I hang out a lot. It’s a human bar, though.”  
            “Excellent.” Keegan grabbed Max’s hand, and started off towards the more used streets. “Human bars are good.”  
            “I thought you hated humans.” Max said, frowning when she saw Keegan was going the wrong way, “And Crash is that way.”  
            “I do.” Keegan said, switching directions without a change in her expression. “But I can’t…If I…” She stopped, frowning. “Felix was designed with bear in his cocktail. He’s strong, and he can scent a mark up to three miles. We’ve been partners since…well, I’ve lost track. I can’t…be in heat with him. Not again.” She shook herself. “Come on, humans are idiots. And, they smell. They’ll have a harder time tracking down our scents.”  
            It had to have been the pheromones, they were impairing her judgment. Because Max saw complete logic in the plan, and could whole heartedly agree. Granted, sleeping with a stranger wasn’t her original plan, but now that Keegan had brought it up, it was an _excellent_  idea. The fires burned inside her, and Max knew she and Keegan looked much the same at this point, sweaty, sexy and ready for anything.  
            What she didn’t know what that they were being watched by two sets of eyes.   
  
***

            “Ok, so I owe you fifty.” Alec grumbled, watching the two small forms move away from the boarder fence. “How did you know they were gonna break out?”  
            Felix frowned. “Keegan.” He said, shrugging a little. “I knew she was in heat before she did this time…I went to the safe house to check in on her, and she smelled…” He shook his head. “I have no idea what I did to make her actually afraid of being near me right now.”  
            Alec smirked to himself. “I can think of a few things.” He remarked. “Like that continuous line of females in your bedroom.”  
            Felix punched him in the shoulder. “Like you didn’t do the exact same thing.”  
            “Yeah…ok. True.” Alec shrugged, rubbing at his shoulder. “But I don’t think Keegan was expecting that.”  
            “Alec, how long have 105 and I been partners?” Felix said, looking upset. “ _She_  is the one who keeps saying that’s all we are.”  
            Alec resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “You weren’t exactly Mr. Cuddly when you two hooked up in Manticore. Did you ever think she told you what she thought you wanted to hear?”  
            Felix raised an eyebrow. “You mean what you do to Max?”  
            The smile vanished from Alec’s face. “Don’t. Just don’t.”  
            “Just pointing out we’re both fucked.” Felix said, his eyes going back to the two females heading away from TC. “And that I really hope that she doesn’t kill me for this…” With that, Felix leapt down from the roof top, landing easily on the other side of the fence, and trailing the two females with an easy, loping gate,  
            “She won’t.” Alec muttered to himself, chuckling. “But Maxie will probably kill me.” He followed Felix, part of his mind pointing out it should be transhumans he was sending out, to prevent any accidental breedings… but it was  _Keegan_ , his unit mate, and  _Max_ , the one female who could get him to do anything.  
            And, if both males were honest with themselves, they were under the influence of pheromones.  


***

            The music was loud, and there were a lot of people crammed into Crash. Max hung close to Keegan, feeling momentarily overwhelmed by the scents and sounds; hanging out in that small room with only other transgenics had sensitized her nose. Vaguely, she wondered if the sensory overload was what caused most of the newly free transgenics to get caught; maybe they had just been overwhelmed.  
            After a moment, the pheromones made her bolder, and Max stepped into the bar with the air of a predatory stepping into familiar hunting ground. Keegan followed  _her_ , just as much on the prowl, but accepting this as Max’s territory.  
            From the moment they walked in, men were taking notice. No less then five had offered her drinks, but Max had dismissed them all, eyes searching for the best specimen she could find. Behind her, someone was thrown roughly into a nearby table. Max turned, just in time to see Keegan snarling, “I said, ‘no’.” before catching up to Max’s wake.  
            “You alright?” It was concern for her fellow hunter, pack now because they were on the prowl, and each other’s back up.  
            Keegan nodded, stepping into Max’s personal space, “Fine. You?” It was the same concern, something primal and feral, like two lionesses on the savannah.  
            Max didn’t need to respond; with Keegan directly behind her, she made her way towards the dance floor, where one of the oldest mating rituals known to man was taking place.  
            Everywhere in nature, males showed off for the females, be it a mating dance, bright plumage or building a fantastic nest. Crash was no different, the dance floor filled with moving, gyrating bodies. If there was a good mate to be found, it would be here.  
            Dancing is a primal thing, and it could call during heat too. The music was in them, moving them, even as they circled the floor, eventually ending up in the dead center. At first, people moved, more intent on watching the two feral women move with a grace that was nearly otherworldly, their eyes catching the light like glow sticks. But even humans can scent pheromones, and eventually the pull was enough to drag a few of the more aware men from the crowd. Others, not wanting to be excluded from the chance to possess such wildness, joined them. Within minutes, Max and Keegan had a ring of admirers, a few daring to step closer.  
            There was electricity in the air, almost like there was a storm on the way. The anticipation was practically tangible…  
            Unheard over the music, the front door slammed open, two more sets of glowing eyes standing in the opening.  
            It was as if lightning struck the two dancing females—they froze, attention immediately on the door as their senses detected the best possible breeding matches in the room.  
            With the touch of Alec’s hand on his shoulder, Felix was able to reign himself in enough to not growl, his natural grace enhanced by the fact he was  _hunting_. Alec was holding on to control with a thin thread, the pheromones were stronger when they were in an enclosed space. And he didn’t want Max to hate him, not when they were making such good progress…  
            Felix broke through the crowd, standing at the edge of Max and Keegan’s admirers.   
            Keegan did a double take, shock seemingly clearing some of the hormone madness from her head. “Oh fuck.  _No_ , Max.” She said, one hand easily restraining her companion. “I said _not you_.” She snarled, glaring at Felix.  
            He stepped forward, taking hold of Max’s arm and easily swinging her behind him. It was a pass off, and Max fell into Alec’s arms, looking rather pleasantly surprised, while Alec looked torn, as if someone was offering him heaven and hell at the same time.  
            “Thanks, Felix. Really.” He quipped, determined to breathe through his mouth and avoiding Max’s roving hands. “She’ll hate me.”  
            “Her problem.” Felix grunted, eyes still on Keegan, who seemed frozen where she was.  
            “Like fuck it is.” Keegan announced, coming back to herself and sidestepping Felix to pull Max back from Alec. “We’re fine. And we don’t need you.”  
            Alec’s eyes narrowed, but inside, he was somewhat amused. “Well, you two finally working together.”  
            Felix just looked surprised—his enhanced nose was flooding his system with their pheromones. “But—“  
            “No.” Keegan reiterated, hands on her hips. “I came here for anyone but you.”  
            Felix growled. “I’d kill anyone who touched you.” He stated, and Alec was pretty damn sure he was ready to demonstrate it too.  
            “Yeah?” This time it was Max who spoke, her eyebrows raised and defiance on her face. Then, very deliberately, she pulled Keegan to her, hugging the smaller transgenic. “Gonna kill me?” The sight caused groans in many of the men in the room, and even Alec felt his mouth go dry.  
            496 looked actually torn, and Alec stepped forward again, restraining his brother despite his own hormones screaming at him. “You wouldn’t.” He reminded him, gently.  
            “He doesn’t think we’re serious.” Keegan said, looking slightly delirious. In fact, both of them did. Which didn’t make what happened next any less hot.  
            Keegan gently pulled Max’s face to hers, and pressed their lips together. An outbreak of hoots and catcalls broke out, but neither Keegan nor Max noticed, as their heat swirled within them, the kiss deepened, their tongues dancing against each other.  
            Until a forceful hand grabbed Max’s arm, pulling her away. Max blinked up, surprised to see Alec glaring at Keegan with a feral possessiveness, and seeing a similar expression on Felix’s face, though directed at her. Part of her giggled, they were actually jealous!  
            The jeers had faded to something like nervous laughter, as their audience realized that, perhaps, it was safer to be elsewhere.  
            However, Felix apparently had that exact same thought. “We’re leaving.”  
            Keegan deserved a medal for how well she was fighting her own instincts to breed with the best mate available. “Make me.”  
            However, when making threats such as ‘make me’, it’s generally wise to remember several things: height, determination, and strength. Max was 5’6’’ and decently strong for a female without the additional training, and she would have made no headway against the 6’0’’ Alec, who was not only stronger, but an Alpha. Now, given that ratio, the 6’2’’ Felix—also an alpha—had a full foot on Keegan. And, he was not a happy camper.  
            Her outraged yelp when he easily swung her over his shoulder had several of the bolder humans in the bar stepping forward.   
            “You so deserved that!” Alec called after the two of them, breaking up some of the tension. However, all eyes were now on him, and he was already having a hard time keeping his hands to himself; Max, however, had no such qualms, which made it even more difficult.  
            After several awkward minutes, he was able to remove himself and Max from the crowd, stepping into the alley and thanking whoever looked out for transgenics that he hadn’t killed or maimed anyone.  
            And he nearly jumped out of his skin, when he felt feverish flesh wrap around his hard member. Max had started her attempts at undressing him inside, and had obviously managed to get his pants undone.  
            With a growl, he stepped backwards, forcing distance between the two of them. “I don’t have—“  
            “I don’t care.” Max announced, her sweat pants already abandoned on the wet asphalt. She practically launched herself into his arms, and Alec found himself pressed against the cold brick, a double armful of Max, being kissed passionately.  
            There was no thinking, no planning. Alec growled into her kiss, shifting her so she was directly over his cock, but she was the one who slid down, impaling herself.  
            He was strong, but he only managed a few thrusts before his legs started to quiver, and he spun them around, Max’s back hitting the wall, and used the leverage to thrust again. The new angle was  _perfect_  and Max was clawing at his back, crying out with pleasure.  
            Alec knew he was talking, but what he said, he’d never know. He was too lost in the scent of her, the taste of her, the  _feel_. Her walls gripped him, and she was so wet, so _hot_ ….  
            Max’s mouth found his neck, and she bit down, hard. The pain sent sparks down his spine, and he thrust harder, her cries muffled by his shoulder.   
            It seemed like hours; she was gripping him perfectly, and he was hitting every right place. His pelvis ground against her clit, spontaneously shooting even larger waves of pleasure through her…  
            And then—it was coming, she knew it—his thrusts lost rhythm, and she arched herself back, a cry already being pulled from her lips as he emptied himself into her. Max could feel his come coating her, and it made her shudder in pleasure. Alec, though panting into her shoulder, was still making little thrusts, as if unable to help himself.  
            Affection washed over her, even as the pheromones calmed. Heat had been satisfied, but Max wasn’t.  
            Alec’s face was still buried in her shoulder, though his hips had stilled, and his breathing was still ragged. No, not ragged…sobbing.  
            “Alec?” She asked, her voice scratchy from screaming, “Are you…crying?”  
            “No.” His voice was entirely unconvincing. “Just give me a minute, will you?”  
            Her lips quirked, and she wiggled herself a bit, ignoring the scrape of the brick on her ass. “But, Al-ec…”  
            His hips jerked involuntarily, and she caught him mutter something about how she was already going to kill him.  
            “No, not kill you.” She said, deliberately squeezing her muscles. Alec’s cock jumped in her, and his surprised, watery gaze shot to hers. “I want you.” She grinned at him, leveraging herself off him, the loss of his size almost an ache. “But now I want you to seduce me.”  
            Alec stared at her, absently brushing at the wet spot covering the front of his opened jeans. “Seduce you…” He repeated, his eyes almost unbelieving, even as she grinned encouragingly at him. “Well, I would love to, Max, but you’re kinda making it easy.” He said, his smile returning as he slipped off his leather jacket.  
            She cocked an eyebrow, a playfulness running through her that she didn’t want to examine, or explain. “How?”  
            “No pants.” He caught her, by swinging his jacket around her back and catching the other sleeve, pulling her to him. “And also…” he said, finishing tying the sleeves in a knot, giving her a makeshift skirt, “Are you sure?”  
            “Can we go back to where we were going that night? When I told you about Ben?” She had been inches away from kissing him, and he had known. She had never thanked him for being a better man, and deliberately sidestepping the kiss, saying she had to get back to Logan. Now, she knew why. “Because I don’t think we get many re-dos.”  
            Taking her face in both hands, he smiled at her—it wasn’t a smile she had ever seen before—and leaned in, whispering, “As you wish.” Before pressing his lips to hers. And, gently, he scooped her back into his arms, breaking the kiss only to navigate back to his apartment.  
               

***

            Elsewhere…  
            Felix thought he was being a pretty good sport about the entire thing. Keegan hadn’t stopped struggling the entire trek from Crash to the abandoned apartment they had shared before they discovered TC, and Felix was pretty sure he was going to have some major bruising before the night was over.  
            The clear night air had helped relieve some of the onslaught of pheromones, but it was mostly willpower that kept Felix behaving. With a  _thwump!_ , he gently tossed Keegan on the worn mattress, and blurred back to the door, knowing that if she got to her feet, she would beat him there. As it were, she collided with his back just as he managed to secure the padlock, half temped to throw the key out the window.  
            Keegan immediately jumped back, all too aware of his scent, and her pheromones, and how much she wanted to ignore every rule her rational mind put into place. “Let me out!”  
            Felix sighed, still leaning against the door. “Keegan…”  
            “It’s fucking  _rape_  if you don’t and you know that!”  
            Her words made him flinch, an irrational anger flooding him. “Then  _I’ll_  leave, but only after you  _listen_.” He said, turning slowly.  
            She was livid, sweat clung to her skin and it glittered in the light from the neon signs outside. He had a hard time remembering a time she looked more beautiful.  
            “Listen to what?” She snarled, keeping the distance between them.  
            “I want to know what I did to make you so afraid of me!” he practically yelled, exasperation hitting a peak. “I want to know so I can make it  _better_ , Keegan! You’ve been at my side for practically my entire fucking life; what did I do?”  
            She glared at him. “Do you wanna start from Manticore burning down, or should we go further back?” She said, acidly. “Because I think you’ll find this entire thing started back when I was 13, and  _you_  happened to be the nearest male.”  
            Felix stared at her, mouth hanging a little open. “How?”  
            Keegan turned away, shuddering with the exertion of fighting her hormones. “It could never have been just that once, could it? You always made sure you were there, with me. You always knew the meds didn’t work for me, and you were  _always_  there to make sure I never went into full blown heat.” She turned back, glaring at him. “Why couldn’t you have done what we did with the rest of the unit, and alternate? Why was it always you and then you just…” her voice broke, and she turned away again, curling in on herself.  
            It was a long time before Felix felt secure enough against her pheromones to move with any intent other than breeding. She winced when he wrapped his arms around her, but she didn’t move away. “105, sometimes, you’re an idiot.” He nuzzled her hair, “And you gotta remember that I am one too. It didn’t even occur to me that you weren’t running around trying the same.”  
            “I’m not a slut.” She growled, still refusing to look at him, let alone unbury her face.  
            Felix sighed. “And who did I come back to every night? Who did I stay with despite the fact she’s a moody bitch when she wants to be?”  
            “We’re  _partners_ , Felix!” Keegan whimpered. “You stuck by me because of habit.”  
            He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Don’t tell me why I did something; you’re brilliant, babe, but you’re not in my head. “ He looked away, letting her go, though she didn’t move. “I dream about you.”  
            “Excuse me?”  
            “I dream about you. Every night.” He looked back, making sure she could see the honesty in his eyes. “Have since I can remember. I didn’t make a move out of Manticore because we  _were_  partners. If you just  _said_  something, I wouldn’t have continued.”  
            He paused, thinking. “Well, no. I most certainly would have continued with the massive amounts of sex, but the  _who_  would have changed.” He looked back at her, seeing the slightest glimmer of a smile, and seeing the glazed look in her eyes, as she continued to try to fight her heat. “Keegan, you don’t have to hold yourself back…I love you too.”  
            As it turned out, he didn’t even need to finish his sentence, as Keegan was already kissing him, her hands running under his shirt even as the last of his control broke, and his own hands began their exploration.  
            The first time was all need, giving into the force and pull of instinct, finally letting loose after all the restraint. The second time was slow, soft; it was his way of making sure she understood.  
            By the time both couples slept that night, more than heat was satisfied.  


***

            Max hadn’t slept as well since before she could remember, and languished in the feeling of sleeping a full six hours. Beside her, Alec had been out cold, purring in his sleep every time she shifted in his arms. His scent had mixed with hers, so that the entire apartment had become a conglomeration of the two fragrances. While she’d never admit it (at least not yet), it smelled  _right_.  
            “You know, you’re beautiful in this light.” A sleepy voice said from behind her, and she looked down to see Alec’s eyes open, watching her. “Not that you’re not beautiful all the time, it’s just…it almost looks like you’re glowing…” His expression was wistful, and Max felt another surge of affection for the X5 rogue.  
            “And you are a sweet talker.” She said, leaning down, and pressing a small kiss to his lips. “Oooh, but morning breath is not so sweet.”   
            Alec chuckled to himself, rolling onto his back and stretching like a giant cat. “You should talk.” He grinned back at her, and she hit him with a pillow. His face still was smiling, but his eyes looked worried. “Hey…are we—“  
            “If you even have to ask that question, Alec, you’re an idiot.” She said, standing up and attempting to locate her clothing. “Yes.” She clarified, glancing over her shoulder at his appreciative gaze. “Though you’re still an ass.”  
            “And you’re still a bitch.” He announced, looking slightly miffed. “I only hope the insults die down when you get more comfy. I’m quite likeable.”   
            She paused, reflecting on her words, and turning, looking sorry. “It’s a habit.”  
            He smirked, “Well, any habit that involves me I generally can endorse…fuck!” He said, as if something just came to him.  
            Max watched as he dove out of his bed, searching through his stained and torn clothes to find a cell phone. “What?” She asked, mildly alarmed.  
            “Felix!” He said, hitting a number on speed dial and holding the phone to his ear, completely oblivious of his nudity. “He kinda knew Keegan was gonna book, and I followed him.” He had the grace to look slightly ashamed when he met Max’s gaze. “I was worried about you! Plus, I wasn’t sure if Keegan was gonna watch your back; females can get pretty competitive during heat, and it’s not like you two got along well bef—Felix! Thank god! Are you alright? Is Keegan…? Uh-huh.” His expression went from alarmed to amused, and after a minute, he actually started snickering. “I think I know what you mean,” He said, glancing back at Max. “But I’ll meet up with you in TC after I get off work. Gotta keep up the image.” With that, Alec hung up the phone, and turned back to Max.  
            “I take it they got to cover?” Max said, still searching for her pants.  
            Alec sighed. “Yeah, more than us.” He looked sheepish, and Max felt herself blush. “I have to ask though,” He said, looking rather amused that she was blushing. “what inspired that kiss?”  
            Max’s mind flashed back to that night, and the dance floor, and... “Oh…um…shut up!” She yelled, swatting at his arm. “That was all Keegan!”  
            “Uh-huh. Sure.” Alec was grinning at her, a wicked, knowing grin that made her blush harder. “Well, at least those sparks will settle soon; I think she likes you.”  
            “Alec!” Max yelled, moving to swat at him again. He dodged, making a kissey face and laughing.  
            All in all, it had been a successful heat.

 


End file.
